Oakdale Paw Printhttps://oakdalepawprint.com
The Student News Site of Oakdale High SchoolTue, 13 Feb 2018 13:41:35 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Announcements 2/13/18https://oakdalepawprint.com/news/morning-announcements/announcements-2-13-18/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/news/morning-announcements/announcements-2-13-18/#respondTue, 13 Feb 2018 13:41:35 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2903
]]>https://oakdalepawprint.com/news/morning-announcements/announcements-2-13-18/feed/0Paw Print Reviews The Posthttps://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/paw-print-reviews-the-post/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/paw-print-reviews-the-post/#respondMon, 05 Feb 2018 15:10:16 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2901Set within the tense political climate of 1971, Steven Spielberg’s 2018 drama The Post closely follows the inner workings and politics of journalists who were on the forefront of the progressive media. The film visits The Washington Post’s controversial decision to publish certain excerpts of the infamous Pentagon Papers, an immense classified report that detailed America’s involvement in Vietnam from World War II to 1968 and the woman who pushed to save the paper. Under the creation of a phenomenal director the film is transformed from a well worn historical documentary to a thrilling story about the freedom of the press and the war on the constitutional right to freedom of the press.

Throughout the film, The Pentagon Papers, officially titled “Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force”, are a collection of decisions and secrets from the Vietnam era that give the film its sense of intrigue. The antagonism between the federal government and the mass media makes the story all the more relevant given the current political climate of the acting President of the United States combating the media.

An Oakdale Junior, Sidney Causey, saw the movie in its opening weekend. When asked about her thoughts on the film she described it as “relevant” and stated, “It’s strange to see how much history is repeating itself. I think of this era as so far from 2018 but clearly there are more things in common than I used to believe like this battle with the media and the way it’s been publicized.”

A Senior at Oakdale, Becca Seligson, who had seen the film with Causey, reflected many of the same sentiments regarding The Post. Her main take away from the film was not only the connections to the preset regarding the media but also with the current feminist movement of women being represented in typically “male fields”. She explained, “Throughout the entire movie Meryl Streep’s character has so much to say and yet she keeps getting pushed aside by all the men working with her. It’s so nice to see that even so long ago there were women like her who made such big changes.”.

Even then, a film about photocopies is not a typical shoe in for national popularity and award nominations. To give credit where credit is due, a large amount of draw towards the film was likely brought on by the performances of Hollywood icons Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. Hanks, who plays The Post’s hard-charging editor, Ben Bradlee, gives a powerful performance along Streep who plays his boss, Katharine Graham, the paper’s famous publisher.

Like a majority of films based on historical events, The Post pushes the real story and bends it for dramatic effect and entertainment value. The filmmakers stayed true to real life and while it’s not surprising that the movie omits seemingly crucial aspects of the story, it still gives a powerful and entertaining take on a major event in U.S history that deserved to be recognized.

Friday, January 5th, we arrived in Washington DC around 9:20 am. After going through security, we enter the White House. The Statue of George Washington is one of the first things you see when entering.

As the tour continues, after the entrance, there is a hall showing special things each president did. This frame shows presidents meeting with important officials. With each frame down the hall they all have a new picture featuring president Trump.

After heading down the hall, the tour starts to go into the actual interior of the White House. One of the first things you’ll find is a statue of Abraham Lincoln.

The china found here are ones previous presidents used during their terms. The rest of the china would be at the white house museum.

Following along the next thing to be found is the library. The rooms have been retrofitted to have electrical lighting.

The Vermeil Room is a meeting room right across the library. During the Christmas season, the lamps by the windows are replaced with small Christmas trees.

This is the original painting of George Washington dating all the way back to 1796. The painting is hung in the East Room.

This is the green room; as you can tell it’s green. Two rumors surround the green rooms’ greenness. Either President Adams called it the “Green Drawing Room”, or President Jefferson used to cover the floor with green colored canvas for protection.

The next room is the blue room. These rooms could have been made for meetings of smaller degrees.

The last room of the three is the red room, which is another meeting room. These rooms could have been for different meetings with different people

Right before the end of the tour, when leaving you’ll see the seal of the president. This is where the tour ends, and you leave too exit the gates.

]]>https://oakdalepawprint.com/registration/registration-video-tutorial/feed/0Registration Directionshttps://oakdalepawprint.com/registration/registration-directions/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/registration/registration-directions/#respondThu, 01 Feb 2018 15:27:28 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2872Here is some helpful information for you as you prepare for registration:

The survey will initially show up on the main page as a task assigned by your counselor. Upon opening the link, you will be able to access the choices for your child’s classes.

-Your child should select eight (8) unique classes as their primary choices, along with two (2) alternate choices in the event of a class conflict, course not offered, etc. The alternates require that the student fill in the class number from the listed choices. In addition, each electronic registration survey will require a parent email and contact information.

-During the registration period, students will able to save their choices, and continue later (this allows a student to come back after researching course descriptions, graduation requirements, etc. before submitting). Later, the student may return to the survey/sheet and click submit when final course selections have been decided. After submitting, this sends it directly to the counselor and does not allow alterations. All surveys/sheets will be automatically submitted to us on midnight of the 8th. Please be careful that you do not select the wrong submission if you wish to return to it later.

-If a student wishes to return to their registration sheet, it will no longer appear on their main page. Instead, it will be archived in the “about me” section of their NAVIANCE account. To access the survey, you would hit the “about me” tab at the top of the home page followed by the link named “___Grade Registration Sheet” on the left side of the page.

-For information about classes and class sequences, simply click on the “document library” link on the right hand side of the home page of NAVIANCE and click on the “registration materials” folder.

-Be sure to attend REGISTRATION INFORMATION NIGHT and ELECTIVES FAIR on Wednesday, February 7th at 6:30 pm which allows students and parents to meet with representatives from our academic departments as well as FCPS programs across the county.

-There will also be an AP Information Session in Room B200 at 7:00 p.m. and a Dual Enrollment Information Session in Room B200 at 7:30 p.m.

This year’s games are being held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. For two weeks, athletes from 90 nations will compete, including Ecuador, Eritrea, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria and, in their Winter Olympics debut, Singapore. .

Out of 15 sports, the US will be represented in all of them with a total of 133 athletes.

The American roster is full of incredibly talented athletes including many veterans, such as Lindsey Vonn (alpine skiing), Sean White (snowboard — halfpipe), and Shani Davis (speed skating).

However, It’s not just the vets who are looking to increase their medal count.

Plenty of Olympic rookies are competing in these 2018 games, too. Athletes such as Emily Dreissigacker (biathlon), Jaelin Kauf (freestyle ski), and Chloe Kim (snowboarding) are determined to make their mark in Pyeongchang.

Kim, just 17, has already proven herself to be a master of snowboarding, specializing in halfpipe, earning four X Games medals, three of them gold. The other, a silver, came when Kim was just 14 years old. Though halfpipe is debatably her best event, Kim also earned gold at the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympics for slopestyle in Lillehammer, Norway.

Another story from Team USA is that of figure skater Adam Rippon, the first openly gay male speed skater.

Rippon, who is competing in his first Olympics, has made the news recently after it was announced Vice President, Mike Pence, who’s known for his slightly anti-gay beliefs, would lead this year’s Olympic delegation.

“I would absolutely not go out of my way to meet somebody who I felt has gone out of their way to not only show that they aren’t a friend of a gay person, but that they think that they’re sick,” explained Rippon to USA Today.

Pence’s spokesperson denied any homophobic tendencies and refounded that Pence would back all athletes.

Concerning the competition, Russia will not have a team under their flag after a doping scandal was uncovered in late 2017. Russian athletes who were found not guilty will compete under the Olympic flag as “Olympic Athletes from Russia.”

The events will be mostly aired on NBC and USA Network, so be sure to tune in to watch your nation compete for the gold!

Team USA plans to make a push for gold this winter.

]]>https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/u-s-a-olympic-preview/feed/0Should What Someone Says on Social Media Be Grounds for Getting Fired?https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/should-what-someone-says-on-social-media-be-grounds-for-getting-fired/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/should-what-someone-says-on-social-media-be-grounds-for-getting-fired/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 13:04:48 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2859All day at work, employees deal with ill-mannered customers and annoyances from their bosses. All they want to do is go home and vent on social media, but they can’t. They are worried that their employer will see and possibly take offense. Nowadays, social media is meant to be an outlet to express yourself. Although, it is true that once one posts something publicly, it can be seen by anyone. This can draw unwanted negative attention to a company if what is posted is perceived as demeaning and unpleasant. Should posting about an intolerable customer or a hounding boss be seen as a viable reason for employment termination?

Nicole Becker, a senior at Oakdale, gave her view on the matter: “I often worry about if my boss will see my tweets. It is my social media, so I should be allowed to post anything I want without having to worry about who will get offended.”

“When an employer hires you, they expect you to be professional and respectful. They choose you to represent their brand, and insulting someone should be grounds for termination,” junior Morgan Wheeler acknowledges.

One can make the argument that as long as it doesn’t threaten the company, such as an employee threatening to burn down their place of work, then it shouldn’t act as grounds for firing them.

If someone is not allowed their First Amendment, then it is a violation of their rights. It would be outlandish to be fired for one’s religious views that are protected under the Bill of Rights, and under the same pretense, it should be far-fetched to fire someone for their protected freedom of speech.

“There is no point of social media if one is not allowed to express themselves. It is for personal entertainment and interacting with my friends. Work and home should be kept separate,” Becker continues.

“Employees are directly linked to a company. Yes, social media is used for your own personal entertainment, but it is not private. It shows the company’s standards if they hire someone who posts tasteless things, whether it be about family, friends, or your job. When what you say reflects poorly on a company, then it is fair to let you go. You were not forced to apply to the job so if you are constantly posting about how horrible it is, then you might as well quit if you weren’t fired already,” counters Wheeler.

Anything on social media can be seen by the public, but if one attempts to keep something on their profile private, or among friends, and it is somehow seen by a boss then the employee shouldn’t be fired. However, if one makes information visible for all, and is in some way demeaning, or offensive, they should be subject to public opinion.

One could conclude that whatever they put on the internet has the capability to be seen by anyone and if they are not able to accept responsibility for what they post, then they should not be sharing it.

]]>https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/should-what-someone-says-on-social-media-be-grounds-for-getting-fired/feed/0Seal of Biliteracyhttps://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/seal-of-biliteracy/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/seal-of-biliteracy/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 13:00:36 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2856Starting in the spring semester of this school year, students who score a 4 or a 5 out of 5 on the AP exam for a foreign language will receive a Seal of Biliteracy, a medal to honor the students’ bilingual abilities.

“Adopted by Maryland in April 2016, the Seal of Biliteracy is an award given by a school district for students who have studied and are competent in two or more languages.” stated an email forwarded out by teachers and administrators at Oakdale.

Mrs. Bethany Brown, a Spanish teacher at Oakdale, explains the concept of the medal, “One major benefit that I believe that the Seal of Biliteracy offers to students is the certification of a real-life skill that improves opportunities for the workplace and for college. It also strengthens cross-cultural communication, affirms the value of diversity, and honors the multiple cultures and languages in our communities.”

While Spanish and French are of the most common languages students can receive the award for, they are certainly not the only languages eligible. “The Seal of Biliteracy is available for many languages, some of which are not taught at FCPS,” Mrs. Brown elaborates.

Upcoming AP Spanish student, Madison Houser, talks about her opinion on the award, “I would say it’s beneficial especially since future employers and colleges will look at it, and often times, even if students don’t necessarily want to learn another language, they’ll do it because it looks good on college applications and it’s an overall good skill to have in adult life.”

“The Seal of Biliteracy is something brand new at OHS and FCPS. Although students may receive this seal this year, it will not be fully implemented at all schools until 2018-2019,” states Mrs. Brown.

Hopefully the introduction of the award will give students a physical representation of their language proficiency and efforts in carrying on through many years of said language throughout high school.

Make sure to congratulate recipients of the newly introduced Seal of Biliteracy this year and for many years to come!

]]>https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/seal-of-biliteracy/feed/0Oakdale Boys Basketball Strives for First State Titlehttps://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/oakdale-boys-basketball-strives-for-first-state-title/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/oakdale-boys-basketball-strives-for-first-state-title/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 12:55:53 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2853In the Oakdale Bears short history, the basketball team has reached the state championship once, and the state tournament three times. The 2014 Oakdale Bears basketball team defeated Patterson Mill in the state semifinal to reach the 2014 2A state final, where they faced Potomac High School.

Leading Potomac High School was Maryland commit Dion Wiley, ranked 52nd in the class of 2014 according to ESPN basketball recruiting, Memphis commit Walter Brodie, and Providence commit Quadree Smith. In comparison, the Bears had one Division 1 recruit, Zach Thomas. Throughout most of the game, Oakdale was able to keep within five points. Unfortunately, when the fourth quarter began Potomac was able to show their superior athleticism and run away with the game.

The Bears have failed to reach the state championship since; however, they have threatened a run each year. This year the Bears are striving to reach the state title again. Most years, Oakdale has had a tough road in the playoffs to make it to Xfinity.

This year may be their easiest path to the state tournament after moving down to 2A. According to maxpreps.com, Oakdale is ranked first in the 2A standings, making them the favorites to be crowned state champions. In their region, Williamsport is ranked second, a team Oakdale beat by thirty-seven points on the road.

Senior guard Isaiah Thomas stated: “We are a very good team, other 2A schools do not want to see us in the playoffs. With the way we can shoot and defend, we’re a matchup nightmare.”

Before Oakdale starts their playoff run, they will likely play in the CMC championship against another Frederick County foe. Since 2013, Oakdale has won all but one conference championship, with their lone down year coming in 2016 when only three seniors were on the roster. Standing at first place in the conference, the Bears are trying to make it five conference championships in six years.

The Bears only roadblock to this championship could be their inconsistent shooting. In their first game against Thomas Johnson High School, it seemed as if the players could not miss a shot. In one of their more recent games against Tuscarora (7-5), The Bears only made two threes, with one of them being a half court huck at the end of the first half. For the Bears to score more, point guard Drew Jezioro wants his teammates to “get out on transition” after a defensive rebound. “It’s what we do best.”

The Bears road to the Xfinity center will likely go through the Bear Den. Oakdale will lock up the no. 1 seed in the 2A West region with a few more wins and will play each of their playoff games at home until the state semifinals.

Jezioro believes the key to a deep playoff run is defense: “We’ve been giving up too many easy buckets. We’ll have to step up the defensive intensity to make it to Xfinity.” Drew also stated that their “shooting must be on par during each and every game during the playoffs. We can’t afford a game where we aren’t shooting well.”

Oakdale has both the talent and work ethic to win States, currently 13-1 after a second win against Walkersville, and they hope to keep their current 9-game winning streak going through the rest of the season. This may just be the Bears’ year.

]]>https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/oakdale-boys-basketball-strives-for-first-state-title/feed/0Monster Hunter across the Worldhttps://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/monster-hunter-across-the-world/
https://oakdalepawprint.com/feature/monster-hunter-across-the-world/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 12:51:16 +0000https://oakdalepawprint.com/?p=2850Monster Hunter has been a less popular, but incredibly fun game made by Capcom. The game series began on Playstation 2, with the title being simply Monster Hunter in 2004. Monster Hunter found its place on portable consoles for the most part with the exception of Monster Hunter Frontier G and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. With the announcement of the newest title, Monster Hunter World, fans are thrilled for the new addition to the series. Monster Hunter World is coming to Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Monster Hunter is a unique game. It is an action, hunting, and role playing game with the objective of hunting and killing monsters then using their parts to build gear. Different gear gives different abilities and buffs during hunts. The game is home to dozens of monsters with even more types of armor and weapons for each monster. There are 12 types of weapons in the game, like the long sword, bowgun, and insect glaive, so there are many options and lots of customization available in Monster Hunter.

There are different quests for solo play and team play. Team play adds a whole new realm of tactics and killing potential. Oakdale Senior Chris Boersen was a Monster Hunter 4u player: “The single player was interesting and challenging, but so was the multiplayer. It’s fun to take down bosses solo but its just as fun to work together to take them down with real people in multiplayer. Overall, it was worth my time”.

The gameplay is similar to that of Dark Souls because of the dodge then attack style of play. Each weapon offers a different way of hunting, but during hunts no matter what, you are dodging, healing with potions, and attacking constantly. What makes Monster Hunter so different from other boss oriented games is the fact that monsters don’t have health bars. You have to use hints like drooling, running away, sleeping, eating, and limping to figure how close the monster is to death. Other small details make the game fun and unique. For example, your weapon loses sharpness as you fight, and you have to use a whetstone to sharpen it occasionally, and you eat before every hunt, so you can get buffs for the upcoming fight.

The story of Monster Hunter is mainly focused around simply killing monsters. In some games, Monster Hunter is story oriented, for example Monster Hunter Stories. Throughout the series there is less of a plot and more of a backstory to give an explanation behind monsters and the town. But most of the games are essentially to just kill monsters, get stronger, and reach a higher rank.

Long time fans are ecstatic about the newest announced game, Monster Hunter World or MHW. However, because of its easier marketing due to it being on mainstream systems, there are more and more people who are new to the Monster Hunter series also excited for this game. It had an open beta which drew in Youtubers and streamers, which gave it even more publicity, giving MHW even more of a following. This may be the most played and most hyped up Monster Hunter to ever be released.

MHW is a large step up in every department from graphics to smarter AI because of its jump from 3DS and Nintendo Switch to next gen consoles. Capcom has a lot more to work with because of the power of Xbox One and PS4; PC runs almost any game beautifully anyway. The game is in a whole different world when it comes to graphics. The game looks beautiful and runs just as well.

Oakdale High School Junior Jared Deacon says, “The visuals in this game look so good, all the textures look good as well as the vibrant colors. Also, the gameplay looks really fun and interactive”.

In older games the map is split up into zones, with loading time when traversing in between them. In MHW there is a huge seamless map with no loading times. The surrounding environment is interactable; for example, blowing up the side of a mountain can reveal a dangerous waterfall which pushes the monster and your character off the cliff and onto the jungle floor below. All 12 weapons are staying in MHW, but every single one is getting new moves and combos to spice up the monster slaying action. It is unsure how many new monsters are getting implemented or how many returning ones are in the full game. Seen in the beta were returning monsters like Diablos, Rathalos, and Barroth, and brand new monsters such as the Pukei-Pukei, Jyuratodus, and Great Jagras.

With all the new things in Monster Hunter World, there is a lot to look forward to. The full game is soon to come, it’s release date being January 26, 2018. Capcom has been trying to get the attention of new players for MHW, so us Monster Hunter veterans can show you noobs how its done.